Think About It! - "Things that make you go Hmmmmm"

Important issues that most of us know in the back of our mind but never put forth a great deal of effort to react to or give any serious deep thought. It will be easy to relate to and after reading the different bullet points with informational data you most likely will make a few changes in your food purchases and eating patterns. The items listed below are just the beginning of a few sections to start at the "tip of the iceberg". This section will eventually become a novel sized informational area all by itself and probably the largest area of our site. All points will be backed up with reference to data sources in the near future. For now, read the points and if you are as inquisitive as most, you will start googling for info on your own. Please feel free to send us any information you think is important for this section. We more than welcome and ecourage customer input! The more information that we can provide for the public the healtheir we can all be. You can contact us with any information you would like to add through our contact form @ http://www.bodyworks.com/contact.html

We try to make this somewhat entertaining as well but the points are valid and extremely important.

• If the sign says "Drive Through" - DRIVE BY! - DO NOT STOP! - DO NOT GO TO THE MENU BOARD! DO NOT PAY AT THE FIRST WINDOW! and especially DO NOT COLLECT! Drive through foods are typically loaded with fat, sugar, salt, preservatives and other chemicals. Some fast food companies actually incorporate chemicals into their foods to make you crave them more.
  
  
• If the label reads "Diet" - DO NOT BUY IT! - SUGAR SUBSTITUTES ARE WORSE THAN SUGAR ITSELF! Some sugar substitutes can chemically modify simply by temperature change into a potentially deadly new chemical compound that can build up in your body's fat content and become extremely toxic. If used repeatedly it can cause horrible side effects! Some of the substitues actually affect the pancreas' function, increase your craving for sugar and can cause diabetes or hypoglycemia. Refined sugar is not your real enemy. It is the amount you consume. Your body needs natural sugars to function properly. My philosophy is - if you are going to have a soda - HAVE A REAL SODA! - Properly filtered water is the most important liquid for your body but in extremely small quantities the soda or other sugar products are not a real threat to your body - unless you already have a blood sugar problem. (more on this subject later). Optimally you want to avoid refined sugars but it is better than the sugar substitutes.
  
  NutraSweet (Equal, Aspartame) The FDA has received more complaints about this artificial sweetener than from any other food additive they have ever passed. Complaints range from headaches, to stomach cramps, to muscle fatigue, and NutraSweet has been linked to neurological disorders such as Fibromyalgia and Alzheimer’s Disease. At 85 degrees, all drinks containing NutraSweet undergo a transformation. The NutraSweet turns into formaldehyde. Now for the scary news. No medical journal has reported this, however, industry magazines, such as Flying Safety and Navy Physiology have: at high altitudes, because NutraSweet contains 10% methanol, oxygen deprivation soon follows consumption of diet sodas, leading to dizziness, loss of vision, sudden memory loss, and even epileptic fits. When the FDA passed NutraSweet, they banned a harmless sweetener, Stevia, which comes from a plant. It has been used for over 200 years with no side effects. Japan originally made their diet Coke with Stevia, until they decided to standardize with the rest of the world. Soon after the FDA banned Stevia, a grass roots effort started up demanding the FDA show proof that Stevia was harmful. Since the FDA had no research to prove it harmful, they dragged their feet a couple of years, and finally gave in before Congress began an investigation. You can now purchase Stevia in most health food stores. If you want the full story on Aspartame, how it passed through the FDA and what it does to you, we suggest you get the movie, "Sweet Misery". (excerpts above from the links below)
  More information on this subject in the near future - a subject so large it will require its own pages - here are a few must reads
  • http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/Newsletters/04_Dec.htm#Misery
  • http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/misc/hidden_h.htm
    
    
• If the label reads "Low Sodium" Buyer Beware! - Wonder why it costs more to put less salt in? Could it be that probably it has more preservatives added which are worse than the salt itself? Be sure to read the label!
  
  
• "No Fat" in foods that have fat naturally are not good in general - something has to be added to take the place of the fat to keep the consistency and they normally do not taste good at all!
  
  
• "Organic" - the term is not well defined by the government and is probably abused more than the loose regulation of the fishing industry. The only common aspect of "Organic" foods is they are overpriced and without any guarantees!
  
  
• Try to avoid fresh produce that is grown in other countries. Most of these countries do not have regulatory agencies or they are minimal and do not enforce any type of health related agricultural standards or regulations for production of exported fruits and vegetables to the US or other countries. The most extreme concern should be given to fruits and vegetables that are not cooked before consumption. Reports of salmonella, botulism, other bacteria or viral related illnesses are increasing at epidemic levels! In most cases the unknowns are the biggest issues.
  • What type of fertilizer was used? Scary thought - isn't it? Hmmmmm?
  • How was it ripened? Naturally or Chemically? Obviously, naturally is better but the fact is, most fruits and some vegetables must be picked green for export or they would be rotten and fermenting by the time they reach our country. Guess if it were the right type of fruit it would make for some good wine or liquor......
  • Pesticides - ? DDT is illegal in the US but is not illegal in some countries that we import from - and what other poisons did they use to keep the bugs out? More on this subject coming soon.
    
    
• this list will be much larger in the near future but for our first issue, we are trying to be somewhat concise. - concise? wait until you see the rest!
• More to come - Visit Often!

In effectively controlling and maintaining weight, you have to retrain your body to not store fat for future use by eating small meals, snacks, nibbles ...etc.more often. By doing this, you are notifying your body that you are not going to starve it and your body will normally respond by shedding the extra pounds and not depend on the fat storage that it has clung to from your past starvation diets or your hit and miss eating habits now.

My Story
At one time, I weighed over 285lbs waddling around in a 5' 10" body - talk about uncomfortable - PHEW!! I knew the day that I could not sit in a chair, reach my shoes and get them up on my knees to tie the shoe laces that it was time for my rather large self to do SOMETHING! I was miserable. Had a bad case of dunlop. 42" waist pants fit well in some places but would fall off from the lack of a rear to hold them up from behind - so therefore - I had to keep them almost under my chin to keep them on - LOL ... Truly a sight to behold and since I was starting a nutritional business - Immediate action had to be taken and a radical change of my lifestyle including drive through food and large heavy meals had to end!

The change of eating habits was actually not that bad! I was never hungry. I felt better from one day to the next and eventually reached the point of an extremely new and improved wealth of personal achievment, satisfaction and the highest point of self esteem that I had not seen in years. I had reached my goal and to this day have maintained my weight within a 5-7lb fluctuation depending on the time of year.

Well, here is how it started. The beginning was right in front of me. I began looking into the products that were right under my nose - NOT diet pills but vitamins, minerals, anti oxidants and of course some type of skin lotion that would prevent me from looking like I had given birth to a 20 lb turkey which would leave a proverbial map of interstate stretch marks for reference on my stomach, arms and legs. Then I researched what to eat, when to eat which types of foods, how often to eat and how to control the amounts. One thing I did not do was exert a lot of energy exercising. End result - 11 months later, I was 100 lbs lighter and was on my 5th or 6th shopping spree to buy clothes that would not fall off of me - oh what a problem to have! I actually had to change clothing deptartments at the stores as they did not have small enough sizes. There is a thought! If stores do not stock enough of the smaller size clothes, just how overweight is our population? It was the best I had felt in years and was actually thinner and healtheir than I was in high school! And - I had no stretchmarks to show!!!

My Way! This is how Bodyworks.com's "The Plan"™ Began

When to eat which types of foods and Supplements
for keeping healthy and increasing energy levels with vitamins - not caffeine, ephedra or any other stimulants. These are the supplements, foods and schedule that I followed to drop over 100lbs and maintain it to this day over 5 years later.

Supplements Recommended for optimal Health and promote weight control.

• Royal Jelly 18ml 5ct Vials - Great for a natural sweetener!
• Vitrin multi vitamin, minerals and antioxidants - taken at breakfast time (2)
  • on the top of the list of multi vitamins with all the extras
• Pro Endorphin - taken at breakfast time (1)
  • also recommended before workout
• Aloe C Defense - taken at breakfast time (1)
  • Excellent Vitamin C product -
• ABC and Tea - taken with mid morning snack (1)
• Fucoidan Seaweed - taken with mid morning snack (2)
  • Large list of benefits - please visit the web page for complete information - too much to list here
• Avoria Cal+D - taken at lunch (1)
  • Excellent Calcium product made with vitamin D3 - 100% bio-available - most calcium products are at best 50% bioavaiable
• Symbiotropin or Meditropin taken at bedtime - Your last snack must be digested before taking.
  • These are natural growth hormone production and release products which will not be effective if your body is digesting any foods that produce insulin - your body is geared to either produce insulin or hormones. It will not produce both at the same time. This is best taken at bedtime which will make you
    • sleep deeper
    • feel more rested the next day
    • increase your energy levels
    • reduce your body fat
    • increase your lean muscle mass
    • improve your skin tone
    • can reduce wrinkles over a period of time
    • possibly thicken or even regrow thinning hair (I actually experienced all of the above but this was the icing on the cake!)
• Relastyl face and body lotion use as needed - this is an excellent product - a little goes a long way and is well worth the price!

Food types - when to eat which types of foods - Any so called "diets" that totally eliminate different food groups are not suggested. Your body needs all of the food groups for optimum function. Leaving one out puts your system off balance and could have adverse effects. You also will probably gain all of your weight back plus some when you return to eating the way you were accustomed to before or you will gain weight when you are on the "diet"

A word of EXTREME CAUTION - If you are considered mildly obese or worse - IT IS HIGHY RECOMMENDED that you visit your physician before you make ANY radical changes! - You may already be considered diabetic or worse!

Do not think of yourself as being on a "diet"- you are actually making a lifestyle change by what you eat, when you eat it, NEVER starving, taking supplements to amplify your efforts by giving your body all of the necessary elements for your body to function at an optimal level. Let's refrain from calling this a "diet" as it is not! This is "The Plan"™ - and ALWAYS remember -"The Plan"™ does not mean boring foods or the lack of food!

A few simple rules to follow for optimum results with :"The Plan"™!

• refrain from refined sugars as much as possible
• keep your salt intake as close to zero as possible - there are many ways to season without salt - fresh or dried herbs, vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice or other citric products will enhance the flavors of food without the use of salt. My favorites are lemon grass, leeks, lemon juice, balsamic or redwine vinegar, lime juice, fresh or dried herbs that compliment the dish and always fresh cracked / ground pepper (pink, white and black mix)
• keep your caffeine intake to a minimum - as close to zero as possible as it makes you retain water and inhibits fat reduction - try to avoid coffee, colas, tea etc. - exception is green tea or a chinese blend - these are normally the lowest in caffeine and are actually healthy for you.
• no white rice - use wild rice(with husks if available), REAL brown rice, a basmati rice or other rice that is not pure starch with no nutritional value - season with fresh mushrooms, peas, onions, garlic ...etc - try to avoid salt or keep it to a minimum. Do not overcook the rice and use less water than what is actually recommended as this keeps the fiber content higher.
• As few white t russett potatos as possible (NO new potatos, red or gold) - maybe once a week and not late in the day. Season lightly with real butter, sour cream, chives, lean bacon and even a small amount of cheese if you prefer but do not overload it - again - not late in the day. General rule of thumb is no later than lunch - NO Salt - use as much pepper (white, red, black, pink) as you like - preferably fresh ground - much healtheir and much more tasty.
• avoid alcohol - an occasional glass of white, light red, pink or white zin with an EARLY dinner is actually good for you on an occasional basis but do not consume large amounts - alcohol turns to sugar and inhibits growth hormone production which is one of the most important part of the diet - we will get further into this discussion later in the plan.
• no refined flour products - here again, this inhibits growth hormone production. This does not include good pastas which are complex carbs but should be eaten no later than lunch.
• drink at least 64 oz or more of good water every day (Reverse Osmosis is considered the best) - see discussion on water in the water section below the meal section
• no processed meat products - no one really knows what is in them except maybe the person shoving the mystery meats and fats into the grinder. usually full of fat, salt and ....some things you just really do not want to know - just avoid them.
  • FACT: Processed Meats In 1994, the National Cancer Institute released a bulletin stating that hot dogs have been directly linked to childhood leukemia. Our school systems still serve hot dogs. In nearly all processed meats are nitrates and nitrites. Both of these turn into nitrosamines during digestion. Nitrosamines are carcinogenic. http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/misc/hidden_h.htm
• Keep red meat consumption to between 2-3 times a week at most and lean as possible. Red meat tends to linger in your system longer than other foods and can bog your system down.
• NO DEEP FRIED FOODS!
• do not use any type of vegetable oils (especially canola oil that is produced from the rape seed- it is poison to your system - another product that will require it's own area) Do not use hydrogenated vegetable types of shortening- use either virgin olive oil or real butter only! Read our section on Canola oil - Poison to your system - / Soy will be on our next list!
• Eat as much garlic as you and obviously the people around you can stand. Raw, pickled, baked, pan sautéed with butter or olive oil, ground into a spread - any way you can possibly think of to add it to anything or as a stand alone. Garlic is one of the best if not the best seasonings available. Do not purchase the pre-ground garlic as it loses its flavor and nutritional value. Always press the garlic cloves gently yet firm enough to make sure it is not soft. The cloves should be firm and not give to pressure - the firmer the fresher, more potent and flavor intense! Elephant garlic is not the same and does not have the same flavor or nutritional value of the smaller cloves. We love garlic so much, we will dedicate an entire chapter on the subject alone!

Obviously, we will start with the beginning of the day - Suggested supplements are listed above and recommended foods for your daily meals are listed below - the suggestions below are not the only foods allowed but you will get the general idea of what to eat and when. Please keep in mind to eat smaller amounts as you will be eating more often to keep your metabolism at its peak! Recipes and other ideas will be added will be added often - Bookmark this page and visit often! You are also welcome to send in any recommendations that you may have - if you wish to have your first name, last initial and home city listed, please note this in the contact form with your idea(s), recipe(s) ....etc - Click here to send in your information.

Bodyworks.com's "The Plan"™ let's note this as the Beginning of a New You!

Breakfast - NEVER EVER SKIP BREAKFAST - It is by far the most important meal of the day and sets your body in motion for the rest of the day. 6-8am

• Whole rolled oats cooked 1-1 ratio with water - this keeps the fiber at an optimum and actually is more appealing than mush. Stay away from processed oats or quick oats or any of the flavored oats. When they are processed they lose most of their nutritional value and does nothing for you except fill you up. If you like to add to your oats, by all means do so! You can use milk- whole, skim or half and half, REAL butter, honey as a sweetener - no sugar!. You can add fresh fruit, nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts - try to avoid the extremely salty ones as they make you retain water.
• High fiber cereal that is not sweetened with sugar. If you want to sweeten - use honey! You can use the same additions with the cereal as with the oatmeal.
• whole wheat or grain breads - butter and honey are great additives
• as a spread, you can also use fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) just take a fork and mash them into a spread - season with lemon juice, cinnamon, ground cloves, honey. This spread can be used throughout the day until mid afternoon.
• lean bacon, eggs basted in butter, omelets using milk or water to lighten and fluff cooked in butter - add mushrooms, chives, small amount of cheese, bell pepper, tomatos, season with fresh ground pepper. Use your imagination as other vegetables can be used as well but do not add starches (potatos mainly).

Mid Morning Snack - Fresh fruits for fiber and natural sugars 9-10am

• Fresh pineapple with core in - the core is one of the highest forms of fiber and great for the colon - be sure to choose a pineapple that is ripe enough to eat the core or let the pineapple sit in a warm place to finish ripening before cutting.
• Fresh grapes, watermelon, or other type of seaonal fruit that is high in fiber
• If you choose bananas - make sure they are green tips - these are higher in potassium and have the right amount of sugar content
• Grapefruit or oranges are always a great selection as well
• Fresh yogurt (active culture) if you choose
• Tuna fish salad - tuna packed in water not oil - light on the mayo in the salad - add pieces of pear or apple for sweetness - no sweet relish - you can also add nuts

Lunch - Eat the majority of your vegetables for lunch 11-1pm

• Eat all of your colored vegetables for lunch (green chlorophyll rich, red, yellow or orange)- either fresh or lightly steamed - no overcooked veggies. Overcooking vegetables destroys the nutritional value. Steam the vegetables just to the point that the colors are as intense as they will get.
• Pasta with a light marinara, lemon butter picatta or scampi sauces - no heavy cream sauces
• Salads with a vinaigrette - no heavy salad dressings
• either lightly grilled or sauteed meats - shellfish, skinless chicken or turkey, lean pork, veal or fish (pacific salmon or light white fish such as talapia, pollock or sea bass)
• Pinto or Kidney beans are a great source of proteins and can take the place of meat for lunch
• Vegetable or light base soups with salad
• see notes on red meat in the rules for optimal results section

Mid afternoon snack - fresh fruit, cheese, whole grain crackers 2-4pm

• real cheese, no artificial cheese spreads, soft cheeses ok (brie, montrechet, soft goat cheese...etc)
• season with dill, basil or other fresh herbs
• whole grain crackers or mini breads
• fresh mozzarella with tomatoe slices and basil is a great snack
• fresh fruit -same as mid morning

Dinner - Low or no carbs or sugars - mainly high protein - eat early 6-7pm

• either lightly grilled or sautéed meats - shellfish, skinless chicken or turkey, lean pork, veal or fish (pacific salmon or light white fish such as tilapia, pollock or sea bass)
• veggies - low carb as possible - cauliflower, turnips, parsnips

Mid evening - Tv - snacks 8-9pm

• Proteins ONLY
• boiled shrimp
• lean skinless broiled or pan sauteed chicken strips

Foods to Avoid - due to a lack of clerical resources and time this section will be short and to the point this month

• Any chicken or turkey products that are not of a reputable name brand and state they do not use steroids, anti-biotics or hormones - do not buy them! Check the label to see if it states "Water Added" - you are paying for that water!
• Do not buy sea foods that are harvested in areas abnormally high in contaminates. Try to purchase sea food that is harvested in the northern portions of the Pacific ocean or are farm raised.

Importance of Water- your body needs as much water each day to help the liver metabolize the toxins that it needs to excrete from your system. We highly recommend you purchase either distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water as these are the considered the cleanest water you can acquire. If you can afford a reverse osmosis system from your home, it is a great investment. Most stores do have reverse osmosis machines at the ends of the bottled water areas - you can bring in your own containers and fill them for around 50cents per gallon.

The truth about that overpriced bottled tap water you are wasting your money on and are possibly subjecting your body to a health hazard! The truth in advertising is not a top priority with bottled water companies and regulations on bottled water are either not enforced or non existent!

• most city tap water has more junk in it than any other water including abnormal amounts of chlorine and fluoride. Recent studies have shown levels of antibiotics, hormones and other drugs as most people flush the drugs instead of putting them in the trash. You really do not want to know what else is on that list - trust me, it is disgusting. It is not healthy to drink or cook with - bathing and toilet water is at best about its only purpose!
• If the bottle does not state that it is filtered and purified - IT'S NOT!
• Recently one of the largest beverage companies in the world had to admit that their name brand water was actually tap water!! Why are you paying for water that you can get at home - is the plastic bottle really worth it?
• Spring Water - what is the real definition of "Spring" Water- is that the season of the year it was bottled or did it really come from a natural spring? Was it tested? Did they filter it? Is it purified? Does it have UFOs - Unidentified Floating Objects in it? Hold the bottle up to the light and swirl the water around - if you see floatees - DO NOT BUY IT -
• Interesting Links on your Tap Water by the World Health Organization:'
  • http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/chlorine/en/
  • http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/en/

  Really want to drink out of the tap now??

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